COLLEGE PARK, Md. - For all that went off-script in the second half, Texas still had a chance to beat Maryland on the Terrapins' home floor in the game's final minute.

Chassidy Fussell, who wound up her career as a top 10 all-time scorer for the Longhorns, had a good look at a 3-pointer from the left wing with about 40 seconds left and Texas trailing by one. The ball rimmed out.

After a pair of Maryland free throws, Nekia Jones - who entered the game 20 for 40 from 3-point range this season - worked for an open 3 that would have tied the game. Again, no dice.

The fifth-seeded Longhorns fell to the fourth-seeded Terrapins 69-64 Tuesday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Maryland (26-6) moves on to face top seed Tennessee in the Louisville Regional, while Texas (22-12) is done after trying to win a second-round game for the first time since 2004.

"I would want those same players to take those same shots," Texas coach Karen Aston said. "In particular, the shot Chas got out of the timeout, it was exactly what we were looking for. The shot that 'Kia got was a great shot. We didn't have any more timeouts, so they improvised a little bit, and I thought that was a really good shot."

At least Texas is trending in the right direction. After going 12-18 last year, the Longhorns won a first-round game for the first time since 2008.

"Our entire goal is to grow," said Nneka Enemkpali, a freshman who was all-Big 12, "and to get this program back to where it needed to be. And I feel like we're making steps towards that."